


If Wishes Were Horses

by L_Moonshade



Series: Altered Realities [11]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2018-02-18 00:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2328188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Moonshade/pseuds/L_Moonshade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it's easier to hide from others, and sometimes it's easier to hide from yourself.  Just lately, Phil's been doing a little of both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I leaned back with a sigh. "I know you're there, Barton."

"Ooh, wrong answer but thanks for playing," Kate said, dropping into the room. "Mind if I do my paperwork in here?"

I tried not to show my surprise; I hadn't realized Kate had taken to the air ducts. "If it means I get your forms, you can fill out your paperwork in the bath tub, as long as it's dry when I get it. But what's wrong with the break room?"

"Patterson's friends—all two of them—are being assholes."

I frowned. "They're not making trouble?"

She waved a hand. "Nah, not really. It's just disruptive and annoying, and I don't have the patience to deal with it, today."

"Okay. You'll let me know if it gets worse?"

Kate smiled. "Thanks, but no. This isn't anything that can't—and shouldn't—be taken care of amongst ourselves. No," she said when I started to argue. "I appreciate your concern, but I can't have you, or Royce, or Clint jumping to my rescue all the time. It's the whole reason Royce and I went through training separately, remember."

"I would have thought you'd proven yourself already."

She gave me a pitying look. "Phil, are you really that naïve? I'll always have to prove myself, that's never going to change. And even if I get as close as I can, the minute someone swoops in and rescues me, I'll have to start all over again. So, I'd rather you save the knight in shining armor act for when I really, desperately need it."

I didn't like it, but there wasn't anything I could do. And it wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself. "Okay." I just didn't like that she had to. "Oh, you may be interested to know that Patterson had a bit of an accident in the kitchen."

She looked surprised. "Canton burned him?"

"To the ground. Aside from the woman who made the complaints that brought him to the director's attention, half a dozen have since come forward. There's probably more, but there's no way to know for certain how many washed out because of him, or quit later. On top of that, three people in HR in New York got cut loose and the entire HR department here is getting retrained for ignoring the complaints. If it hadn't been for this last woman not taking no for an answer and working her way up the chain, we may never have found out."

"That's how it usually happens."

I didn't like the way that sounded. "You've had experience?"

She groaned. "The gym was always the worst, that and the pool. Some of them wanted to tweak my grip, or correct my stance, or give me pointers on my breathing. And some didn't even bother with the pretense and would talk about my ass like I couldn't hear them. Or like they didn't care if I did."

There was something very wrong with that. "Don't they know you could kill them without breaking a sweat?"

"No," she said matter-of-factly. "Look at me, I'm small, look all of twenty-five, and certainly don't look like I could lift more than a hundred pounds. Why would they think I'm a lean, mean, killing machine? Be honest, did you think I could take Clint before you saw me actually do it?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. Then I admitted, "But I know who you trained with. I'm not sure I would have otherwise."

"Exactly."

"It shouldn't have to be like that."

She gave a sad smile. "It shouldn't be, but it is."

"I had no idea things were so difficult for you."

She shrugged. "Of course not, you're white and male," she said with no rancor. "There are very real privileges that come with that, and it's not always easy to see what doesn't affect you directly."

I just nodded. She was right, of course, but I was only above discrimination because I wasn't obvious about my sexuality. I didn't hide it but I wasn't exactly open about it, and for the moment I was a little too much of a coward to change that. It made me respect Pop even more; he'd been more open than I was in a time when things were even more difficult.

"Don't go feeling guilty."

Kate's voice startled me out of my thoughts. "About what?"

"About whatever you're feeling guilty about."

I gave her a wry smile. "It disturbs me greatly how easily you can read me."

"Yeah, well, I learned to read Logan. He only had two expressions, full-on psycho and constipated."

She'd timed it just right; I'd been taking a sip of coffee and nearly choked on it. "I hate you."

She grinned. "I know. Anyway, compared to him, you're an open book. Sorry; I'll try not to be so obvious about it."

"No. I actually think it's okay."

She looked surprised, then smiled, taking it for the compliment I'd meant it to be.

We fell silent after that, but it was easy and comfortable. It didn't end until Methos came looking for her and they went to get lunch, and only once she was gone did I realize how much I liked having her there.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate and Methos both started doing their paperwork in my office after that. It was actually easier dealing with Methos' presence because I'd known from the start that I could develop feelings for him, but Kate was a shock. I didn't realize I'd even started to have the beginnings of a crush on her, until one day I finally asked a question that had been in the back of my mind.

"Who's your favorite character?"

She glanced up, eyebrows raised. "From what?"

I picked the first one I thought of. "Royce's show."

"Royce," she said without hesitation. "MacLeod was the main character, so you can imagine that Royce was a breath of fresh air."

I nodded. "I'm sure. MacLeod does seem a bit stuck-up."

"I don't know if stuck-up is quite the right term, but rigid certainly is."

"What did people think of the Horsemen story line?"

She paused to consider. "I don't know, really. I wasn't into the fandom at the time, so I didn't have contact with other fans. I liked it."

"But?"

"Now who's good at reading whom?"

I gave her a wry smile. "Sorry."

"No," she said, voice quiet and hesitant and, to my shock, a bit shy. "I don't think I mind." Then she shifted, pulling herself out of whatever thoughts that had led to. "But, I was less than impressed with how they handled it. I don't know what this Cassandra's like, but in the show she was a bitter shrew who had never left the past behind. The thing is it was the Bronze age and, while I don't know details about what the world was like, I do know that it was harder than we can imagine. What Methos did to Cassandra is, by today's standards, horrendous, but back then she was treated better than she had any right to expect. And I always hated the fact that the character never seemed to take that into consideration."

"Does it make what he did okay?" It was only after the fact that I realized the question could be taken as recrimination, when it was really just curiosity. Kate didn't seem to take offense, though, for which I was glad.

"Not okay, exactly, but it should mitigate some of the blame. We can only act based upon what we know. If we don't change when we learn better, then guilt should be placed, but if we don't know better, then some leeway should be given."

"Would you feel that way if it wasn't Royce?"

"I have thought a great deal about that."

"And?"

She gave a wry smile. "I have no fucking idea."

I huffed. "At least you're not afraid to admit that."

"That's one thing Wolvie taught me. No one else will be comfortable around you if you're not comfortable around yourself."

"My dads have taught me the same thing. It's a lesson I'm still trying to learn."

She nodded. "Yeah. Me, too."

I considered that for a moment, surprised; aside from Methos, she was the most self-confident person I'd ever met. Or, seemed to be, anyway. It was surprising to learn otherwise, but flattering that she was willing to admit it to me, especially with how she felt about showing weakness. I pulled myself out of those thoughts and went back to the original conversation.

"What about Pop's show?"

"Too many to count. There's the Doctor, of course, and like I said, I loved your pop's character. Then there's River, Amy and Rory were fun. Oh, and I can't forget Jack."

"Harkness? Pop's mentioned him, though we've never met. He introduced Pop and Dad."

Kate laughed. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Let me guess, you're going to ask about the movies, now?"

"Am I really that predictable?"

"Only because you want to be." Kate settled back and thought for a moment. "I had the feeling I was going to like Hawkeye, but he only appeared for about half a minute in one of the movies, so there was no way to know for sure. I always had a soft spot in my heart for Stark—probably because he's a sarcastic bastard—and then of course there's…" she trailed off. "Someone else you haven't met," she finished with an apologetic smile. "Spoilers. Sorry."

I sighed in mock annoyance. "Yeah, I know. So what you're telling me is, you can't answer the question."

"Not as thoroughly as I can the last one, no, but I can answer it. You."

I blinked, caught off-guard. "Me? Why? I'm nothing special."

She gave me a look like she thought I was dense. "You're smart, you're funny, you have a sense of humor that ranges from goofy to desert dry, you don't take any bull shit but you're not afraid to relax the rules when it's appropriate, you're geeky, you wear a suit like no one's business… Do you want me to go on?"

I didn't think I was blushing, but if not it was only by a very strong force of will. "Oh. Thank you."

She smiled. "Just calling it how I see it," she said as there was a knock on the door. "And that will be my lunch date." She put her paperwork away and stood then paused. "You know you're always welcome to join us, right?"

No, actually, I didn't. "Thanks, but between you two and Barton, you generate enough paperwork for an army. I need to finish this."

She nodded, though she didn't look like she quite believed the excuse. "Okay. But don't ever be afraid to come with if you get tired of having lunch alone." Then she fixed me with a stern look. "Or of not having lunch alone."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll keep it in mind. Promise."

She gave a curt nod then opened the door. Methos poked his head in to give me a smile and a hello, then they headed for the cafeteria.

Once the door was closed and I was sure they were gone, I dropped my head on my desk. The fact that she had a crush on me was surprising, but it wasn't a problem in the least.

And that was a huge problem.


	3. Chapter 3

I closed the file and looked up at the others in the room. "Which one of you wants to tell me what happened?"

Williams spoke up at once. "When Agent Lang…"

"I was speaking to Agents Royce and Lang," I said. "I've heard your report."

"We had agreed during prep that, once I was in position, I would go radio silent," Kate said. "However, once I was actually in position, Agent Williams insisted upon regular reports."

"I felt that Agent Lang couldn't be trusted…"

Williams always had been too arrogant for her own good. "Agent, I've already heard your report. When and if I want your viewpoint, I will ask you. Am I clear?"

She wasn't happy, but she relented. "Yes."

"Good. Agent Lang, continue."

"I made regular reports, I was heard, and I was both outnumbered and overpowered and couldn't avoid capture."

I turned to Methos. "You went to retrieve Agent Lang without getting authorization from Agent Williams?"

"Yes. In my opinion, it was too dangerous to let Forbes continue to question Agent Lang."

Bullshit, I thought; he went in because he wasn't going to leave Kate behind. Not that I would have acted any differently.

Williams snorted. "That is absolutely ridiculous."

I turned to look at her, deciding to ignore her statement. "Agent Williams, what you did was reckless and irresponsible…"

She stiffened. "Need I remind you that I have more experience than you and…"

"I have to question your experience if you believe it is appropriate to change mission parameters—without need—during the mission."

"As I said, I felt that Agent Lang couldn't be trusted to meet the mission parameters without supervision."

"Not a word," I told Kate and Methos, trying to ignore the fact that I was as pissed at Williams as they were.

"Oh, there weren't going to be words," Methos growled, and yeah. He was scary when he was angry.

I gave it another moment to make sure they were done, then turned back to Williams. "If you were so concerned about Agent Lang's performance, you should have covered that in the pre-mission briefing. I have nothing else to say to you, but my report to Director Delaware will be made promptly."

Williams looked stunned, then stood and turned for the door, pausing to sneer down at Kate. "What could you possibly know that's worth risking one of SHIELD's best agents?"

"That information is above your clearance," I said, likely taking way too much delight in being able to answer the question.

Williams turned to me, that haughty look back on her face. "Do I need to remind you, Agent Coulson, that I'm Level 7?"

I laced my fingers and rested my hands on the desk so I wouldn't punch her and pasted a bored look on my face. "I am well aware of that fact. As I said, that information is above your clearance." And if I left the impression that I knew what it was? Well, could anyone really blame me? Especially since it was salt in the wound of her having to report to a lower-level agent.

Williams glared at me for a moment, then spun and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I gave a sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair.

"Was anyone else tempted to shoot her?" Methos asked.

Two voices chorused, "Yes," and we all shared a smile.

Then I went back to business, wanting to get this over and done with. "Royce, I'll be telling the director that you acted properly. Even if you didn't do it out of protocol."

Methos just smiled, not the least bit ashamed. Not that I'd expected him to be, of course. He wasn't here for SHIELD, or even me, after all, he was here for Kate.

I leaned back and gave a sigh. "Are you okay, Kate?"

"You know he couldn't do any permanent damage."

"Not physical damage, no."

She smiled and looked touched by my concern. "True. I'm fine, I promise. More pissed at Williams than anything."

Methos snorted. "How, exactly, did she get to Level 7?"

I sighed. "I honestly have no idea. I can't help but wonder if someone on the World Security Council is looking out for her; she should know better than to talk about clearance higher than Level 6 in front of lower-level agents." When Kate cocked an eyebrow and Methos coughed, I shrugged. "I know you're aware of how high the classifications really go. She doesn't. Is it my imagination, or does she seem to have it in for you?"

Kate groaned. "At lunch one day she overheard Clint call me Fluffy and called him out on it. I told her it was a joke between us and I didn't take offense, but she insisted that it sounded like an insult and, as such, she didn't want to hear it. Of course that hasn't stopped us and she's over heard it again, even though she has to listen in on private conversations to do it. She's convinced herself that… I don't even know. That Clint's harassing me and I'm taking it, I guess?"

"I'll make sure someone plays her the video of your taking Patterson down. I can probably get Sitwell; I shouldn't have to work hard to talk him into it. I think he's a little in love with you."

"I hope not," Methos said. "I'd really hate to have to shoot him."

Kate elbowed him. "You'll do nothing of the sort. He really is the most adorable thing."

I sighed. "I'm not sure I like that you're calling a SHIELD agent adorable."

"You've seen him. Do you disagree?"

"So, Fluffy?" I asked. I knew it wouldn't distract them, but they would pretend it had.

Methos shrugged. "I don't know; she hasn't even explained it to me."

"Clint says I remind him of the black jaguar they had at the circus, whose name was Fluffy."

Methos choked on that, finding it a lot funnier than I thought warranted.

"And you call him…?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

"Carny, of course."

I actually rolled my eyes, but only because I knew she'd count it as a win. "Of course. I'm glad he has you as friends. He's had a difficult time fitting in, coming from such a different background."

Methos snorted. "That's not the problem. The problem is all the assholes who think that because he didn't go to school he's dumb. If they'd give him half a chance, they'd realize what a good man and agent he really is."

"If only. I know Kate's doing better, but how are you settling in?"

He smiled. "I'm doing well, thanks. It's a bit different from anything I've done…"

"What? Something you've never done? I didn't think that was possible."

"He's never seen the inside of the TARDIS."

Methos heaved a sigh. "You're doing it again, Dear."

"No, if I were doing it again then Phil wouldn't know what I was talking about, either. Since he does…"

"Please tell me you don't know what she's talking about."

I gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but I've gotten a ride in it. The Doctor brought me to Paris to help with the Horsemen."

"Okay, now I'm really confused. How does this TARDIS get you to Paris?"

"It's a ship that travels in space and time. Remember the strange blue box you saw in Rome? That was the TARDIS."

Methos blinked. "I have no idea what to do with that. Why would it look like a police box in ancient Rome?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know. If Pop ever found out, he never told me."

"The Chameleon Circuit was damaged."

I gave Methos a sympathetic look. "Now she's doing it."

"At least I'm not imagining it."

"Fine," she said in a huff. "I know when I'm not appreciated. I'll just go, then."

"Drama Queen," Methos said, voice full of fond exasperation. I knew how he felt.

"I am not…" she paused when Methos gave her a pointed look. "Oh, yeah. I guess I am."

I sighed, something I did a lot around these two. "Now you're both doing it."

"Sorry," Methos said, laughing. "We'll just go get lunch, then. Are you going to join us, or are you still working on the mounds of paperwork we generate?"

I scoffed. "What do you think?"

Kate grinned. "Just don't forget to eat," she said, twisting and standing in one, fluid move. And now that I looked more closely, I could see what Barton meant about her looking like a cat.

"Happy Anniversary, by the way. Have you finally settled on a date?"

Methos gave me a look I couldn't read, getting to his feet. "Not yet. We're still waiting."

I couldn't imagine why. "On what?"

Kate's look I could read; it was all smug. "Spoilers, Sweetie."

"Remind me to never let you and Aunt River meet."

"That's what you said about Barton, and they get along just fine," Methos said.

"I didn't want to keep them apart because I thought they wouldn't."

Their laughter followed them out.


	4. Chapter 4

The door opened—I knew it was either Kate, Methos or Nick; they were the only ones who ever came through the door without knocking—and Kate stormed in, slamming it behind her. "Barton's dead."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "What? How? Why haven't I heard about it…"

She froze and turned to look at me, a horrified expression on her face. "Oh, God, no, Phil, I don't mean Clint. I mean his no-good, asshole, there-are-no-words-strong-enough-to-describe-his-awfulness of a big brother. Not that he deserves the term. Sorry, but I just can't bring myself to call him by his first name like I actually like him or something."

I leaned back and tried to slow my pounding heart. "Then use his full name next time."

She gave me a smirk that looked very self-satisfied. "There won't be a next time. Like I said, the son-of-a-bitch is dead."

"I hope you're not looking to me for sympathy on his behalf."

"Hardly," she said, still pacing. "I can honestly say, I have never enjoyed killing someone as much as I enjoyed putting a bullet into his brain."

"What did he do?"

"Aside from the fact that he left Clint to die way back when? Whoever did the intel for this op didn't do it well enough, and I want to talk to whoever it was. How did none of us know that we were going after Trick Shot?"

I frowned. "I'll look into it. If they're up for recert in hand-to-hand, I'll try to assign either you or Adam for it."

She gave a feral grin. "This is why you're my favorite." Her smile fell and she sighed and finally sat, putting her feet on my desk. "Mind if I smoke?"

I shoved her feet off, could see her considering putting them right back. "Not as long as you keep your feet on the floor." She gave me a pleading look and I sighed. "Off the desk, then."

She lit her cigar then twisted to drape herself over the arms of the chair. "If we'd had warning, Clint could have prepared himself, or denied the op. But he didn't get that chance and, of course, the asshole brought up all his insecurities, played all the greatest hits. 'We're family. You're going to choose strangers over your own brother? You can't do this to me, Clint.' I swear to God, Sir, I saw a gun in his hand. Guess my eyesight isn't as good as Clint's."

"That's a load of bull, and I'll happily cover for you." I sighed. "How's Clint doing?"

"He's sparring with Adam. Beating on someone he doesn't have to go easy on."

"He doesn't have to go easy on you."

She gave a sad smile. "He doesn't like to hurt me. He's lost, Phil. He had family first drilled into his skull so hard that, now he thinks it's all gone, he doesn't know what to do. I wish I could convince him that he's got… God, I'd be his sister in a heartbeat."

It was something everyone who spent any time with the two of them had noticed; they really did act more like siblings than friends. "What if you could be?"

She gave a thoughtful frown. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't see why I couldn't get the director to allow a legal adoption as siblings, at least within SHIELD. If he can accept that, then he'll have to accept that Adam is family, too. And all the rest of your strays."

She laughed. "You're one to talk about strays. That would be great, Phil, really. I can say it 'til I'm blue in the face, but words don't always mean a lot to him."

"He's had too many promises broken in the past. I'll be having dinner with my folks tonight; I'll talk to Pop about it then, let you know as soon as I get something concrete."

"Okay. I can't thank you enough." She stood and stretched, letting the rest of the tension bleed out. "You know he'll have to accept you as family too, right?"

I smiled. "Not in so many words, but I suspected. Thank you. That means a lot."

"To me, too."

I got my answer from Pop that night, and had the form drawn up and approved by HR by the end of the next day. Methos had gone out with some of his friends, so I wasn't entirely surprised when Kate and Barton brought me dinner in my office. More and more often they'd either order for me or bring me dinner, and I tried not to dwell on how much it meant to me.

"By the way, Kate, that's all ready to go," I said as we passed out cartons.

Her brow furrowed, clearing almost immediately as she realized what I was talking about. "It got approved?"

"I didn't even have to finish the question." I'd gotten as far as, "With Barney Barton dead Clint's at loose ends and Kate wants a form," before he told me to draw it up.

She grinned. "And that's why he's our favorite."

"What'm I missing?" Barton asked.

Kate glanced at me and I shrugged; it was up to her if she did it now or later. "Can I see it?"

"Sure." I reached into the drawer that held my blank forms—I'd made sure to have a couple of these on hand—and pulled one out. She looked it over, nodding in approval, then turned to Barton.

"You think you don't have any family left, but that's bullshit. Phil helped me find a way to prove it to you," she said, handing him the form.

He went over the form slowly, his eyes stilling for a long moment when he was done before he said anything. "Do you mean this? I mean, you really want this?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Kate took a deep breath to keep from blowing up, knowing Barton would misunderstand the target of her anger. "Because blood doesn't define family and Barney was full of shit. At the school I went to I was the younger sister to everyone. I always wanted a younger brother, always daydreamed about the type of person I'd take that sort of role to. That imaginary little brother wasn't half as amazing a person as you are. So, in case I haven't said it—or said it often enough—I love you, you big oaf. I'm already your sister in every way that matters, may as well let everyone know you're stuck with me."

He laughed, the sound shaky as he held back tears. He set both food and the form down, took her food from her and set it on the table, then pulled her into a hug. "I love you, too, Nat. And it's not that I don't appreciate the offer, cause I really, really do, but I've gotta think about it."

"Take all the time that you need, Clint. The offer isn't going away, no matter what you decide."

He drew back and Kate and I pretended not to see him wipe tears from his eyes. It took a moment for conversation to pick up, but once it did it was easy and comfortable like it always was. Finally we finished eating and cleaned up, then Kate turned to leave.

She was almost out the door when Barton stopped her. "Nat, wait. Sir? You got a pen I could borrow? There's a form I need to fill out."

I raised my eyebrows, but dug out a pen. "Actually filing paperwork without being hounded about it?"

He gave me an unrepentant grin. "You don't have to hound me for the important stuff."

"It's all important, Carny," Kate said.

He gave her a rare smile, open and vulnerable. "Not as important as this one."

Once he was done Kate filled out her section then handed the form to me. I signed off on it, then tucked it into the envelope of stuff I had to get to Nick in the morning. "I'll have this filed first thing tomorrow."

Barton grinned, looking more at ease than I'd seen him in, well, ever. "Thanks, Sir. And thank you, Sis."

Kate's grin wasn't any less beaming than Barton's was. "Any time, Bro."

She let Barton slip out first so she could give me a gentle, pleased smile. "Thanks, Phil. That means a lot."

"I'm glad I could help."

She left then, but I'd seen something I thought she didn't know she'd shown me. This was important to her not just for Clint's sake, but for her own. Family was important to her, too, after all. And for all that she knew blood didn't make a family, sometimes it was nice to have it in writing.

The next day, Barton told me that Methos' reaction had been, "Don't think I'm going easy on you just because you're my brother-in-law." And that, I thought, had likely made him feel almost as good as Kate's adopting him had.


	5. Chapter 5

"What've you got for me today, Coulson?"

"Most of it's nothing that needs to be rushed, but the first one should get in as soon as possible."

Nick pulled the forms out of the envelope and read over the adoption form. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Neither of them have any blood. That reminds me, I need to know who did intel for their last op."

"Miranda Williams," Nick said, signing off.

"Permission to knock her back to Level 5."

He looked up at me. "What'd she do?"

"Either she didn't know they were going after Trick Shot, or she didn't tell Agents Barton, Royce, and Lang."

Nick frowned. "Trick Shot, why does that name sound familiar?"

"Buck Chisholm. He was the archer I was originally after when I brought Barton in. Barney Barton was working with him, then and now."

Nick looked thunderous. "Isn't she the one who got Lang captured by changing mission parameters in the middle of the op?"

"One and the same."

"I'll have to clear it with the director, but I think it's safe to say she's a danger. I'll try to have you here for it, but if not I promise I'll send you a link to the video."

Nick was a bastard and a hard-ass, but he was fair and protective of his assets. Granted, he saw most of them as nothing more than assets, but you couldn't have everything. "Thanks, Nick."

"Yeah. The director know about this already?"

"No."

"Does your pop?"

I gave a wry smile. "Yes."

Nick picked up the phone and dialed. A moment later he said, "Sir, about Agent Miranda Williams…" He listened for a moment, then gave a feral grin. "Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir." He disconnected then hit the intercom. "Agent Brandt, get me Miranda Williams now. I don't care if you have to pull her from the field. Hell, I don't care if she's in the fucking shower." I was glad this wasn't going to wait.

"Would you like me to…?"

"You did file paperwork on it?"

"It's in there."

He nodded, and pulled the report out to go through it. "Then sit your ass down."

I sat and schooled my features. I'd never liked her and she'd hurt people I cared about. I felt no guilt in admitting—to myself, at least—that I was going to enjoy this.

It was another twenty minutes before she came in, something that only pissed Nick off more. She spared me a condescending glance then turned to Nick. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" she said, starting to take the other chair.

"I wanted to see you twenty minutes ago, and I don't recall offering you a seat. When you were ordered to report to me what, exactly, were you told?"

She hurriedly straightened. "That I should drop everything and report to you immediately."

"Care to explain why it looks like you showered first?"

She was looking increasingly wrong-footed. "I had just finished a workout and I thought…"

"When I say I want to see you immediately, that means you'd better get up here immediately. I don't care if you're wearing threadbare sweatpants and a holey T-shirt, you don't take time to change or shower, and you damn well don't take twenty minutes to do it. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Would you care to explain to me why my best sniper wasn't informed that his target was the man who trained him to shoot? Or that there was a very good chance he'd be seeing his brother at the end of his scope?"

She looked nervous, and I wondered how much of it had been deliberate. "I thought it would be obvious once he read the briefing packet."

"Would you like to take this one, Agent Coulson?"

Oh, would I. "There are two things wrong with that excuse, Agent. One, it is clearly noted in Agent Barton's file that he rarely reads the briefing packet, and a follow up should be made to make sure he has all pertinent information. Granted, that's not as big a concern when he's working with Agents Royce and Lang; they are very good about making sure their team knows everything. Which brings me to my next point. Agent Lang stormed into my office when they returned, livid that none of them knew about Barney Barton's likely presence."

Williams frowned down at me. "You don't think she was lying for him?"

"Why would she?" Nick asked before I could.

"To cover the fact that he couldn't take out the target. Perhaps due to his sympathies for his brother and mentor."

I was going to shoot her myself. "If he had done something to endanger the op and/or other agents on the team—and it was something he could have avoided—neither of them would lie about it."

"Agent Lang, in her first op after training—her first round of training…"

"Made a mistake that almost cost Agent Barton his life, yes, we know," Nick said. "And when she returned, she offered herself for probation and retraining. She never lied about her actions, never made excuses, and has been an exemplary agent ever since. Given your conduct in the last op you ran with Agents Lang and Royce, I'm more inclined to take her word over yours. And that indicates one of two very troubling scenarios."

She was starting to sweat. "And those are?"

"One, you didn't know, in which case you are dangerously inept. Two, you didn't tell them, in which case you are dangerously… I don't know. Agent Coulson, can you think of any reason Williams would fail to pass along such important information?"

"Agents Barton and Lang have been given the impression that Agent Williams doesn't like them."

Nick looked interested, but I had little doubt he already knew. "Really. And do they have a theory as to why this may be?"

"They feel it goes back to Agent Williams' overhearing a nickname that Agent Barton has for Agent Lang."

"He calls her Fluffy," Williams said. It was speaking out of turn, and it was a very bad idea when dealing with Nick. "It's insulting and I don't know why she accepts it."

Nick looked at me to explain. "Agent Lang accepts it as the sign of affection Agent Barton means it to be. In return, he accepts her calling him 'Carny' as the reciprocal affection Agent Lang means that term to be. Growing up I called my brother 'Twit' and he called me 'Nerd.' The scenario with Agents Barton and Lang is no different."

"Except they're not siblings."

Nick gave her the grin that only served to frighten. "I beg to differ. They have, through form F-68-C-72, formally adopted each other as siblings. Now. Would you care to explain why Chisholm and Barton's names never appeared in the briefing packet, despite your strong implication that they were?"

There was a long silence. "No, Sir."

"Very well. You are demoted to Level 4 and will need to retake the Handler training course. If you pass you will be on probation and monitored for six months after your return to the field. One more mistake, and you will be dismissed. Am I clear?"

That was more than I'd expected, but I wasn't going to complain. I wondered how she was going to take that; she wanted to be in SHIELD as badly as Kate did, but she was far more arrogant.

I wondered for a good minute or two before she said, "I would rather resign."

Nick reached into a drawer that had to have been already open and pulled out a form that had to have already been on top. "Be my guest."

She filled out the form as quickly as possible then turned to go.

"I don't recall dismissing you."

"I resigned."

"I haven't signed it yet, which means it's not official."

She turned back, jaw and fists clenched. Fury stared her down until she glanced aside, then he signed the form. "Take this to the director," he said, handing her the form. "I'll let him know you're coming."

She snatched the form out of her hand then glared down at me. "I suppose this makes you happy."

"It doesn't in that you had great potential. In that you have proven dangerously vindictive and unwilling to deal with problems properly, it makes me ecstatic."

She stormed out, slamming the door behind her. "Just for that, I'm not going to give Canton the heads up." He leaned back and pulled out the ever-present bottle and a glass. "You okay, Cheese?"

I shook my head, declining the offered drink. I never touched the Doctor's Best while on duty. "Better now. She hurt people I care about, and almost got Kate killed."

He huffed. "Never thought I'd see the day."

I frowned. "What day is that?"

"The day Phil Coulson lost his objectivity. I passed along your request to the director. He's declined."

I sighed. I'd asked to have Kate, Methos, and Barton assigned to me permanently. "I'll talk to him, then. There are too many reasons it's a good idea."

"And one reason it's not. Alright, get the fuck back to work. We still doing drinks tonight?"

Crap. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot. Royce and Lang invited Barton and I for dinner."

He gave me a look that said clear as day he felt I'd just proven his point, but waved it off. "We'll go out next week."

I left then, pleased with how things had turned out. I'd heard other complaints about Williams, of course, but since none of them had crossed my desk I couldn't do anything about it. I was glad to see her gone; it was never a good thing to lose your objectivity. That thought brought me back to what Nick had said about mine, but I dismissed it. I cared about them—they'd become friends, after all—but that didn't mean I was losing my objectivity.

They were all in my office when I got back. But while I should have been pissed that they'd gotten in even though I'd locked it, I was nothing but glad to see them.

Maybe Nick was right, after all.


	6. Chapter 6

I had been surprised when Kate and Methos invited me to dinner, but it didn't surprise me that the address I was given wasn't the one SHIELD had on file. That one was a cheap dive apartment in the bad part of town; the one they sent me to was in a building that made me think one month's rent was as much as I got paid in six. It wasn't somewhere I felt exactly comfortable in, but poor Barton looked even more uncomfortable than I did when I found him at the entrance, pausing to puzzle out the names. Methos' lessons had helped and Barton could read on his own, but it was still slow going for him at times.

"Why can't they just stick to one name apiece?" he asked, finally pressing the right button on the intercom.

"Because Royce is a paranoid bastard," I said, getting the door for him. "This apartment and…" I checked the intercom, "S. Baumgartner? Really? Anyway, this is nowhere on SHIELD's radar. Be glad that they didn't ask us over to the place SHIELD does know about."

"Not the nicest of places is it?"

I scoffed. "It's the kind of place they can afford on a SHIELD salary."

Barton winced. "Yeah. Not nice at all."

We took the elevator up to the penthouse suite and the doors opened on a huge room with an impressive view of the city. My estimate went up from six months to a year.

We were, of course, noticed at once and Kate, sitting at a sofa with her back to the elevator, stood to greet us with a warm smile. "Phil. Carny. Thanks for coming."

I smiled in return. "Thanks for inviting us. Where's Royce?"

"Kitchen," she said, leading us in. "Would you like something to drink? Beer, wine?"

"Wine's good," I said, at the same time that Barton said, "Beer." Then I saw the kitchen and if I cooked, I'd have been jealous. It wasn't huge, but it was large enough to have plenty of counter and cupboard space, a stove (every burner held a pan) with a grill and skillet, and a large fridge. It also had a breakfast bar that looked like it got a lot of use.

Methos was working at the stove, but he glanced up and gave us a smile. "Phil. Barton."

"We need one wine and a beer," Kate told him. Then to us, "Royce takes his cooking very seriously. Setting foot in the kitchen while he's busy is grounds for justifiable homicide."

"Hence why I'm bringing you your drinks," Methos said, opening a bottle of beer for Barton before pouring me a glass of wine.

Barton looked at the bottle with its unfamiliar label. "Here I was expecting Bud."

Methos looked scandalized. "Blasphemy! You poor sod, if you think that's beer…"

"What's wrong with Bud?"

"It's like making love in a canoe," Methos said, going back to his pots and pans.

Barton frowned. "Huh?"

"It's fucking close to water," Kate and I said in unison, sharing a smile.

"I have no idea what to say to that."

"The fact that you didn't know that means we have severely neglected supplementing your education," I said, voice serious. "We shall start remedying that as soon as possible."

"Any time," Methos said. "We've got it all on DVD."

"Monty Python," Kate told Barton. "You'll like it; it's full of surreal humor."

"Well, you didn't steer me wrong on Loony Tunes."

We fell into easy conversation and I felt a contentment I hadn't since before Pierce went rogue. Dinner was good, conversation was better, and after we'd eaten I helped Kate wash and dry dishes, while Barton helped Methos put leftovers away. Then we headed into the sitting room with our drinks and soft music on the stereo to continue talking.

"So how the hell can you afford this place, anyhow?" Barton asked.

"I own the building," Methos said. "Well, one of my other personas does."

I cocked an eyebrow. "How many personas do you have?"

"Half a dozen that are ready for me to walk into now, another five that I'm setting up for the future."

Barton's jaw dropped. "Five?"

"With digitized information, it's a lot more difficult than it used to be. You can't just print up a birth certificate and diploma and be done with it. So I've got to start early."

"True," I said. "Now that we're done with dinner, why don't you tell us why we're here."

Kate hid a smile. "What, we can't invite friends over for dinner?"

"Yes, but you've been just a bit on edge all night." The surprised look on Barton's face told me, once again, just how adept I'd become at reading her.

Methos smiled. "Having friends over is part of it, but part of it is… Well, it's really Kate's show."

She took a deep breath and I only now realized just how nervous she really was. "I'm not any more normal of a human than Royce is. That much Phil knows, as well as the fact that I have a healing factor damn near as fast as Royce's, and my senses are heightened to the point where I can identify people by scent and see in the dark."

Barton's jaw dropped. "Fucker! That's how you always know when I'm in the vents. And why you warned me that she'd always know."

I smiled and nodded. "Yes." Then I turned to Kate. "How much don't I know?"

She shrugged. "A bunch, though some of it I'm sure you both at least suspect. Namely, heightened strength, agility, and speed."

"It explains how fast you moved taking Patterson down," Barton said. "Though, I'm willing to bet you could have regardless."

She smiled. "You're sweet. There's one other thing, though, and this will be easier if I just show you."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't for her outline to shimmer and shift, shrinking in a silent and smooth transition. As unexpected as it was, though, I wasn't surprised when, at the end, she was a large cat with thick black fur and green eyes. She rubbed against our legs, then jumped up next to me and flopped over on her back, her head in my lap.

"Hussy," Methos huffed, sounding fond and amused.

"I don't know you nearly well enough for that," I said, keeping my voice dry.

Kate sneezed laughter and rolled off the couch to jump into a chair and 'shift back. "So. There you have it."

"That explains so much," Barton said. "Like why you look like Fluffy."

"And why you thought that was so funny," I said to Methos.

He just gave a smug little smile, an expression I found far too attractive for my own good.

"As much as I'd love to talk about this more, it's getting late and I'm heading out to Curacao tomorrow," Barton said, standing and pulling Kate into a hug. I couldn't hear what was said, but I didn't doubt it was a thank you for trusting him. He said good bye to Methos and I and left.

"I should go, too. I have some ops to research," I said, standing as well. I hesitated only briefly before giving her a hug. "I know how difficult that must have been for you. Thank you."

"Not as difficult as all that. Not when it's you."

"Thank you," I said again, voice quiet. She'd been beat down so many times, her trust misplaced so often, that it amazed me she still had the ability to give it. And the fact that she gave it to me was humbling and flattering. "Good night, Kate. Royce."

She gave me a peck on the cheek. "Good night, Phil."

"Phil," Methos said, shaking my hand.

I left, then, mind going over everything, wondering what I'd done to inspire such trust and loyalty. In the end, though, I decided it didn't matter. I had, and that was the important thing.


	7. Chapter 7

I wasn't expecting anyone so I grabbed my gun when I went to the door. I set it back down as soon as I saw who it was, though, opening the door to let Methos in.

It had looked bad from the peephole—Methos' shirt bloody and torn—but when he fell into my arms I realized it was worse than I'd thought. His wounds were still open, still dripping blood. "Sorry," he slurred.

I helped him in, kicking the door shut behind me, and got him onto the couch. "It's fine, you're fine."

"No. 'M not." And with that, he died.

My heart thudded in my chest. I knew he'd be okay, he wasn't the first Immortal I'd ever seen, after all, but I didn't like seeing him still and unmoving. I debated what to do, finally deciding on getting him out of his long coat. If he was like Nick he had his sword in there, and I couldn't imagine it was comfortable to lay on. When I picked it up it was heavier than it should have been and didn't move quite right, meaning I'd been right. And now that it was off, now that I could see the slashes and tears in his clothes, I thought that, maybe, his sword had been used tonight.

After another few minutes he came to with a deep, gasping breath. He lay still for a moment then took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Sorry about all the blood and crap."

"It's fine," I said again. In truth it was more than fine. It was a huge compliment, that he trusted me enough to die in front of me. "Feel free to grab a shower if you want. I think I've got some sweats that are too big, if you want some clean clothes."

"That would be great. Thanks."

I showed him to the bathroom then went into the bedroom to find clothes. "Do you need food?" I called back. I could imagine healing like that took a lot of energy. I knew I was always hungrier than normal after a bad injury.

"Please, if it's not going to put you out."

"Hardly." I found the clothes and took them to the bathroom. "I should have it ready by the time you're done. Just TV dinners, I'm afraid; I'm not nearly the cook you are."

"That's fine," he said, taking the sweats. He glanced down then back up at me with that infuriating smirk. "Knew I'd get in your pants someday," he said, then slipped in and closed the door.

It took a moment for my brain to restart. It wasn't like we never flirted, of course, but that… That was a lot more forward than anything I'd expected.

And was far too attractive of an idea.

I shook myself out of it as the water started and made my way into the kitchen to throw in a couple of dinners. I was surprised to see how early it still was but shouldn't have been given I hadn't even eaten yet.

Methos came out just as I was pulling the dinners from the oven. "Thanks," he said, giving a wry smile when his stomach growled. "Reviving is hungry work."

"I can imagine. What do you want to drink?"

"Please tell me you've got beer."

I grabbed a couple. "I do, actually." I didn't normally, but Nick had stopped over with some and left what we hadn't drunk. "I'm afraid it's not as good as what you gave Barton the other night."

He scoffed and opened the bottle, taking a long drink. "That's okay. My taste buds are still fried; I wouldn't know the difference anyway."

"Challenge?"

He nodded. "Yeah. An old enemy who thought I'm always so reluctant to fight because I can't."

I scoffed. "He really didn't know you too well, then. Anyone I'd know?"

"No idea; Morgan Walker. I met him in the 1800s in New Orleans. I was a doctor at the time, one of the few who would treat slaves. I had to treat a lot of his."

"Not a nice man, I take it."

"Not a nice man at all." He fell silent as he finished eating then leaned back with a sigh. "Charlotte was his house—and bed—slave. I'd just finished treating her brother and Walker wasn't due back for another few days and she was so very lovely." He shrugged. "He got back early and, of course, wouldn't believe she'd been alone no matter how hard she insisted. In his anger, he pushed her out of a second-story window. She didn't survive. He's been after my head ever since, and not because he missed her, or was heartbroken over her death. He was angry because he saw me as the reason he'd lost some of his property."

I shook my head. "I'll never understand how people can do that to each other."

"The Immortal mindset can be a little different. A lot of us come to think of ourselves as being above mortals, and the older we get the worse it is. After all, how many mortals really care what happens to a mayfly in its lifespan?"

Maybe, but there was still a huge difference. He knew that, though. "Is that how you feel?"

He gave a brief, pained smile. "For a while. It's a large part of what led me to the Horsemen. But not anymore. Not for thousands of years. The truth is, the mortals I love are all the more precious to me because I know you'll be gone all too soon."

"How do you keep going?"

He sighed. "One more day. That's all I've ever wanted, just one more day."

"That's a lot of days."

That quick flash of a smile again. "Yes. It is. Far too many, I sometimes think." Then he gave another smile, one that lit up his face and brightened his eyes. "And then people like Kate and you and Barton come along, and remind me how to live. I was doing little more than surviving when Kate landed at my feet."

"To be honest, I wasn't doing much better myself before meeting the two of you. I was getting consumed with work. Barton did his best to help with that, but there was only so much he could do."

"Nick?"

"Unlike you, Nick tends to respect boundaries, believe it or not."

He gave an unrepentant grin. "Someone's gotta keep you from killing yourself." His smile softened and he gave me a contemplative look. "To be honest, I started out only tolerating you to humor Kate. In case you hadn't noticed, there's not a lot I wouldn't do for her. But you've become a good friend." He glanced back at the couch, smile turning wry. "And obviously I trust you to some extent."

"Which I take as a great compliment. Kate's and Barton's, too." I shook my head. "It amazes me that they're still capable of it, after everything they've been through."

"You and me, both. There have been times it's taken me centuries to rebuild my ability to trust. Though, Kate does have an advantage. She knows us."

"To some extent. But she hadn't gotten much chance to see Barton, and from what she says the fictional me was the quintessential company man. Not someone she'd be willing to trust so quickly, no matter how much she likes me."

"Can I grab another?" he asked, indicating the beer. When I nodded, he went to the fridge. "You're an insightful man, Phil; you see a lot of things others would miss. A lot of things we try to hide. It's one of the things that makes you so easy to trust."

My eyebrows shot up. "That I know things you rather I didn't?"

"That you don't use it against us."

That actually surprised me. "The thought never crossed my mind."

He smiled. "Of course not. That's the type of person you are."

"You don't understand. The thought never crossed my mind when it comes to you three, Nick, a couple of others. There are a few out there, though, I'm more than happy to hit where it hurts."

"Like Williams? Nick was more than happy to tell us she was out."

"She was proving dangerous. She left Barney Barton's name out of it because she doesn't like Barton and Kate. I'm willing to be it's the same reason she changed mission parameters in the first op you ran with her."

"Oh, I'm sure it is, and she's damn lucky Kate wants to stay with SHIELD so badly. Otherwise I would have shot her. Probably fatally."

"I was tempted, myself. Is Kate waiting for you?"

"No. She and my brother-in-law are at the carnival."

I smiled. "You're enjoying that, aren't you?"

"Do you have any idea how happy it made her?"

"I do. She needed it as much as he did." Then it caught up to me, where Methos had said they were. "The carnival?"

"Yeah, I think they wanted to win some stuffed animals for the day care."

And they could, I knew. With Barton's having grown up in the circus and Kate's abilities, they'd have no problem winning a lot of toys. Unfortunately, if anyone thought they were cheating… "They are going to generate so much paperwork."

"More than you know. It's one of the sketchier ones, so it's possible that they're mistreating the animals. If that's the case?"

I sighed. Again. "I hate my life."

Methos laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, Phil. Maybe you'll come to believe it. Anyway, back to your original question, no, Kate's not waiting. Do you, uh, do you mind if I hang around? I'd rather not be alone right now."

I was shocked by how shy he seemed to be. "No, of course not. I don't usually mind your company."

We talked until late, when Kate called to say that she was back. We talked for a little while after that, but not for too long before he left. When he did, he paused at the door to give me a warm smile.

"Thanks for taking care of me."

I gave him a smile in return. "Always."

When I got into work the next morning, I learned that a large donation of stuffed animals of all sizes and types had been made to the day care. Not all of them had gone there, though, I discovered when I got to my office. There were two on my desk, one a hawk the other a wolf. There was a note from Kate pinned to the wolf; "I know it's your favorite animal. Hope you like it." I laughed and put them up on top of my filing cabinet. Yes, I thought, wolves were my favorite.

But I was rapidly developing a stronger affection for cats.


	8. Chapter 8

"No," Pop said as we walked into the house, continuing the argument that had been going since before we'd left for the day. "I can't afford to permanently tie three of my best agents to one handler. Or to each other; it's bad enough I can't separate Royce and Lang. Honey, we're ho-ome."

"I can hear that," Dad said, coming into the hall to give Pop a kiss. "What's all this?"

"Phil asked me to assign Barton, Royce, and Lang to him on a permanent basis. Which is, of course, absolutely ridiculous."

"Now, now, if it were that bad an idea, Phil wouldn't have had it. Why do you want that?"

I took off my jacket and tie and hung them up. "Barton is older than his years in a lot of ways, but there are some ways he's younger, too. The handlers he's worked with so far don't take that into consideration, they treat him like an experienced agent going against orders, when they really need to treat him like an unruly teenager. And too many of them look down on him for his lack of formal education."

"He's not wrong," Pop sighed when Dad gave him a questioning look. "I can't deny that Barton works better with Phil than he does with anyone else," he said, dropping into a seat at the table.

"What about Royce and Lang?" Dad asked me.

I grabbed a beer and sat across from Pop. "Barton works better with them than he does with other agents, for the same reason he works best with me. Then there's the fact that Royce is Immortal, and Lang's a mutant. I'm the only handler who knows that, and I don't expect them to let that information get out. They should be placed with someone who knows what they can do and can help them use their talents to their fullest potential."

Pop threw his hands up. "He's not wrong about that, either. Plus, the three of them don't trust anyone near as much as they trust each other, unless it's him," he said, pointing at me.

"So why is it such a ridiculous idea?" 

Pop heaved a sigh and took the beer Dad offered him. "Objectivity. Rather, the lack thereof." Pop took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Royce and Lang are engaged. They're good, but there's no way they're going to be able to remain completely objective all of the time; if they could, they wouldn't have been so worried about going into the field separately. And Barton's latched on to them. They've become a good team, yes, but they've also become family."

"One more reason to keep them together," I said. "It won't be as big an issue if there's no worry about other agents crying special treatment."

Pop considered that. "Okay, point. But not under you."

"Why?"

"Because you have a hard time keeping your objectivity when it comes to them."

I wanted to argue, but couldn't. I knew myself too well to ignore something like that, at least not once it had been pointed out to me, and Nick had done just that weeks ago. "Yeah. I do, don't I?"

"It's understandable," Dad said. "You were friends with Royce and Lang before they came in, and you brought Barton in, nursed him along."

"And if it were just that, I could likely be talked into it," Pop said. "But it's not just friendship, at least in Royce's case."

I hesitated, but as long as we were being honest… "Or Lang's."

Dad's eyebrows shot up. "That'll be a bit of a complication. Is this the first time you've fancied a girl?"

I shook my head. "No. No, there was a girl in high school, Annie… Seriously?" I asked as Dad pulled out his wallet and handed Pop a fifty. "You bet on my love life?"

"No, whether you register a five or six on the Kinsey Scale," Pop said. "Told you he had a crush on that couple River brought around."

I sighed. Of course they remembered that; I'd been six and had made an absolute fool of myself. "Five-point-five. It was only romantic, which is why I never said anything to her. And one of the many, many reasons I will never tell Kate."

Pop scoffed. "Do you think she's not going to figure it out? They both will."

"I know. But if I keep things professional, I'm sure it won't cause problems."

There was a moment of silence as Dad brought food out and we got our plates, then we turned to small talk. That was the one hard-and-fast rule Pop had, no talking business during dinner. It wasn't until I was ready to leave that the conversation was brought to a close, Pop walking me to the car to make one last point.

"Can you tell me honestly that you only want them as your team for strictly logical reasons? That emotion doesn't play any part in it?"

I didn't have to think about it for long. Or at all, really. "No." Logic was most of it, but I couldn't discount the fact that I didn't trust them with anyone else. They were all fragile in different ways, and I didn't trust the other handlers to care about them enough to take the care I would.

"I'm sorry it didn't go your way. But it's for the best."

I took a deep breath and let it out, along with my annoyance. "I know. You're right, of course."

Pop gave a wry smile. "I wouldn't say of course like it's a given. I haven't always been, and I won't always be. Alright, go home and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah. Love you, Pop."

"Love you, too, Son."

It wasn't until I was laying in bed, sleepless, that I admitted to myself just how bad it was. There were logical arguments for having Kate and Methos assigned to me on a permanent basis, but that wasn't my main motivation. My dads, as far as I knew, thought it nothing more than an inappropriate crush, but it was more than that. I wanted them close because I was starting to fall for them, and I knew I'd never be able to have the type of relationship with them that I was starting to want. Being the one to bring them home was going to have to be good enough.

But I couldn't even have that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to Raynbowz..


End file.
